Abstract

Murray Gell-Mann and James Hartle have made an original proposal for a version of decoherent histories quantum mechanics which is specifically tailored so as not to imply the emergence of multiple quasi-classical worlds. I argue that there is an explanatory gap in the proposal but that there remains an important insight which might be used to tackle what can be seen as an outstanding problem for Hugh Everett III’s “relative state” interpretation of quantum mechanics, if it is understood as giving ontic priority to the wavefunction. The argument employs a recent novel analysis of self-location within any sort of multiverse.

This paper combines the central idea in my 'A Metaphysics for Semantic Internalism' with an aspect of a recent proposal by Gell-Mann and Hartle to suggest how Everett's 'relative state' interpretation can be understood in terms of a fundamental wavefunction ontology. It is currently in submission.